R.D. "Bob" Nielson Honored -- Sep 25, 2003
PLF Charter Member Robert D. "Bob" Nielson, Aptos, CA, has been selected for induction on Sept. 25, 2003, Logan, Utah, into the Utah State University College of Agriculture Hall of Honor, joining seven other distinguished alumni who have been inducted since the hall was initiated in 2000. This recognizes his historical and professional service to the world, the college, Utah State University, and the public. Bob was also the recipient of the PLF Outstanding Lifetime Public Service Award of 2000 given him at the Reno Conference. His career includes work with the Grazing Service, and with the BLM in the Missouri River Basin efforts, and as State Director for Montana, and for Utah. He retired from public service in 1973, and lives in Aptos, California.
BLM Employee Honored with Chiles Award -- November 24, 2001
William Cannon, BLM employee and lifetime resident of the High Desert region of Oregon, has been responsible for protecting cultural resources on 3.5 million acres of BLM land in south-central Oregon. To honor his tremendous contributions to the state, including identification of more than 3000 archeological sites, he will be given the prestigious Earl Chiles Award at a banquet in Portland in early December. He will join the list of Chiles awardees which includes another BLM employee, Wayne Elmore, of Prineville BLM, who was recognized with this special award some years ago for his pioneering work in riparian management . A plaque of recognition showing the past distinguished recipients is located in the High Desert Museum, near Bend, Oregon.
PLF Member Bob Hostetter Recognized For Role in WW11 PT Boat Records
Bob Hostetter, former BLM Public Affairs Officer, In Oregon State Office and WO. Bob is now retired in Beaverton, OR, and is a PLF Life, Charter member. Hero of Philippines in WWII Dies: October 24, 2001 (A report by Myrna Oliver of LA Times-Washington Post Service as shown in The Oregonian at www.oregonlive.com/news, Page A5) Rich Richardson was a PT boat sailor who was involved with the Torpedo Squadron 3 that brought Gen. MacArthur out of the Philippines. The event was portrayed in the 1945 movie, "They Were Expendable." Richardson's boat was sunk and he finally made it to an island where he was involved in guerrilla activities which was portrayed in a 1950 film version of a novel, "American Guerrilla in the Philippines," He died October 10 in Houston. Behind the lines, he wrote a two copies of a 152 page diary on a carbon paper manuscript; bringing one home with him and the other was buried by priests in the town of Cantilan, Mindanao. The copy he brought home was given to the Navy, and the other was given by priests to Robert (Bob) D. Hostetter, another PT boat sailor, after the war. In 1986, Hostetter returned the diary to Richardson, during a PT boaters reunion in Portland. Hostetter is presently a member of a group of former PT boat personnel who are restoring a PT boat in the Portland area.
Keith Corrigall Wilderness Stewardship Award
The "International Journal of Wilderness" (IJW) is establishing the Keith Corrigall Wilderness Stewardship Award for Excellence in Wilderness Stewardship in honor of the late Keith Corrigall. Financial contributions from friends and colleagues will be placed in a special IJW fund to defer the modest costs of administering the award. Keith Corrigall worked as the wilderness branch chief for the Bureau of Land Management during the formative years of that agency's wilderness program (mid-1980's to mid- 1990's). Keith was a strong leader and advocate for wilderness education, protection of wilderness and wilderness study areas, low impact use of all public lands, and wilderness skills training. His influence extended to all the wilderness agencies, universities, and environmental organizations. Keith's quiet determination, passion, and high standards for wilderness and all resource management provided leadership and monitoring to all his colleagues and cooperators. Rarely outspoken, he set an outstanding example of dependability, vision, and professionalism that charted direction and fostered cooperation. The Keith Corrigall Award for Excellence in Wilderness Stewardship will be given annually to an individual or team of persons whose efforts to protect and/or steward wilderness is worthy of special recognition. Nominees may be professionals or citizens involved in wilderness work. Nominations for 2001 may be made through June 30. Submit a 500-word statement and seconding letter to IJW, Corrigall Award, University of Idaho, Wilderness Research Center, Moscow, Idaho, USA 83844. E-mail: wrc@uidaho.edu. Be sure to include contact information for both the nominee and the person(s) making the nomination. Reprint from International Journal of Wilderness, December 2000, Volume 6, Number 3
Remembering Joe T. Fallini by Bill Mathews
Joe was born March 10, 1917, and grew up on the family ranch on Alder Creek near Mackay, Idaho. He attended the Mackay schools and graduated from the University of Idaho in 1940 with a degree in forestry. While in school he worked during the summers as a smoke chaser for the Forest Service in the Loon Creek and Middle Fork of the Salmon River areas. Following graduation he worked for a short time on range surveys for the Grazing Service in the Idaho Falls District.
He served as a Commissioned Officer in the Army Signal Corps from 1941 to 1944. He married Marie Wendelin on February 7, 1943. Marie passed away February 4, 1983.
Following military service, he returned to the Idaho Falls District in 1945 as a range conservationist and was appointed District Manager in 1946, Joe moved to the BLM Area Office in Portland in 1950 as Range Conservationist and joined the Range staff in the Washington Office in 1956.
He returned to Idaho in 1959 and served as the BLM's State Director for Idaho until 1970. From 1970 to 1974 he served as the State Director for Arizona.
After a brief retirement, he was appointed Arizona State land Commissioner, and served in this capacity from 1980 to 1983. Joe married Helen Vogl on August 24, 1987. Joe passed away on January 19, 2001. Helen continues to reside in Sun City, Arizona.
Joe had an outstanding career with the BLM. He is remembered as a very competent and effective manager. He had a very pleasant manner of working with people and was very effective in resolving resource conflicts and problems.
Joe was a charter member of the "Jim Beamers" which is a group of BLM retirees interested in fish and wildlife populations, historic trails, true stories and tall tales.
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